Green's injury slows offense against Browns

Plans to go Green are scuttled by injuryGround game held in check with veteran out

The Texans wanted to rely on running back Ahman Green to carry the bulk of the load in the running game against Cleveland on Sunday.

For half the game, he did just that. Late in the third quarter, however, Green limped off the field and positioned himself on the end of the bench to watch the rest of the 16-6 Texans victory.

With an MRI scheduled today for Green’s left knee, coach Gary Kubiak didn’t sound optimistic about his injury-prone veteran.

“Unfortunately, Ahman is down,” Kubiak said. “It looks like it could be a few weeks, just talking to (head team trainer) Kevin (Bastin).”

That doesn’t bode well for a team in the midst of an already-disappointing season and preparing to play its first game on Monday Night Football.

When Green was in the game, he and Steve Slaton combined for 22 carries and 83 rushing yards (3.8 yards per carry.) After Green left, Slaton had 12 carries for just 29 yards. Even with a 17-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter, Slaton averaged just 2.4 yards per carry over that stretch.

“(Green’s injury) was a big problem because Steve is beat up,” Kubiak said. “Going into the game, we thought it would be more of an Ahman day. (When Green was hurt) we had a problem. We had a beat-up young back who really wasn’t 100 percent. And then we had a kid (Ryan Moats) who hasn’t touched the ball much, and we didn’t want to put him in that situation.”

Photo: James Nielsen, Chronicle

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With offensive linemen such as rookie Duane Brown (76) paving the way, Steve Slaton had 73 yards rushing on Sunday, when Ahman Green contributed 39 before going out with a knee injury.

With offensive linemen such as rookie Duane Brown (76) paving the way, Steve Slaton had 73 yards rushing on Sunday, when Ahman Green contributed 39 before going out with a knee injury.

Photo: James Nielsen, Chronicle

Green's injury slows offense against Browns

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Uncertainty in backfield

The Texans now might have to face the Jaguars with just Slaton and Moats. Slaton is dealing with bruised ribs he suffered against Indianapolis last week, while Moats has carried the ball just 10 times since the end of the 2006 season.

Green said he is optimistic he will be able to play soon. He has 15 touchdowns in 14 career Monday Night Football appearances. And in two weeks, the Texans will play at Lambeau Field to face Green’s former teammates for the first time since Green left Green Bay for Houston in 2007.

“My knee went one way, my foot went the other way,” Green said of the injury. “I got up. I didn’t feel any pain. I just felt a lot of looseness. I wasn’t in pain. It was just a weird feeling when I came off the field.

“I’ve always been a fast healer. So hopefully I can get back for the Monday night game, if not the next game.”

The Texans have been a better team when Green has been on the field. They have lost all three of the games in which he has been inactive this season.

He had 39 yards on 13 carries against the Browns. The Texans have won four of the five games this season in which Green has had at least 30 rushing yards.

Versatility missed

But it’s not just his yards the Texans miss when Green isn’t on the field.

“Ahman did a lot of things that people don’t really realize,” quarterback Sage Rosenfels said. “He did stuff that doesn’t end up in the stats department. He’s so good on third downs in protections. When you start playing teams that are 3-4 teams, like this or Pittsburgh or Baltimore, he has so much experience with protections that he does a great job with helping the offensive linemen or picking up big linebackers.

“That’s the type of stuff that hurts. He’s also great in short yardage.”